Volo Broadband and the Digital Divide -- Peter Folk

Overview About me and Volo How Volo works –How the internet works – The big picture –Wireless last mile –Volo Topology The Federal Stimulus Package –The rural digital divide –Champaign County Backbone –Champaign County Volo Discussion

Volo: The Facts Local ISP—providing high speed internet to the Champaign-Urbana area Cutting-edge technology –4x faster than DSL, Cable –2x faster than T1 –Covers most of C-U area Cutting-edge price (~$30/mo) Unprecedented ease of use –Multiple computers no-hassle –Automatic firewall protection Community-friendly –Supports free wireless initia- tives for low-income areas –Free service to schools & churches –High-tech School-to-work Program Active in Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations Developing technology to help people meet their neighbors Total user satisfaction / Total community support -- Peter Folk, CEO and founder

Overview About me and Volo How Volo works –How the internet works – The big picture –Wireless last mile –Volo Topology The Federal Stimulus Package –The rural digital divide –Champaign County Backbone –Champaign County Volo Discussion

The Big Picture Yahoo Google CNN Network Access Point Tier 1 Provider (eg AT&T) Tier 1 Provider (eg Sprint) Your ISP Local Website Your House

The Big Picture Yahoo Google CNN Network Access Point Tier 1 Provider (eg AT&T) Tier 1 Provider (eg Sprint) Your ISP Local Website Your House Connections can be fast (aka big) or slow (aka small), sending more or less information each second: Bandwidth

Pipes and Packets Only one person can talk at a time on a given line So you break up the conversation into little pieces Their message: Your message: Your ISP Local Website Your House Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers… We the people of the United States of America… Internet

Pipes and Packets Only one person can talk at a time on a given line So you break up the conversation into little pieces => The Internet Protocol (IP) uses “packets” to allow many people to share one line Their message: Your message: Your ISP Local Website Your House Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers… We the people of the United States of America… Internet FourWe thscoree peo andsevenf the year

Pipes and Packets Only one person can talk at a time on a given line So you break up the conversation into little pieces => The Internet Protocol (IP) uses “packets” to allow many people to share one line Their message: Your message: Your ISP Local Website Your House Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers… We the people of the United States of America… Internet FourWe thsce peoore andsevenf the year Some packets are bigger than others

Pipes and Packets Only one person can talk at a time on a given line So you break up the conversation into little pieces => The Internet Protocol (IP) uses “packets” to allow many people to share one line Your message: Your ISP Local Website Your House Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers… We the people of the United States of America… Internet FourWe thsce peoore andsevenf the year Bigger pipes carry more pps (packets per second) than the smaller pipe

More on Packets A packet can contain any kind of information: –Web text (about 1/3 page per packet) –Music (about 1/10 th of a second) –Low-definition Video (1/5 th of a second) –HD Video (1/200 th of a second) –Digital photos (1/2000 th of a high-resolution photo) –Phone (about 1/5 th of a second fits in a big packet, but usually phone uses small packets with 1/20 th of a second or less)  One connection can carry different services to your home, so long as they all use the “Internet Protocol” (IP)

Streaming Streaming is where you watch or listen to a program while it is being downloaded or uploaded: –Packets are received, played, and discarded, instead of being saved to permanent storage (like a hard drive) –Streaming a high-resolution TV episode requires 2mbps –Streaming a satellite-quality TV channel requires 8mbps or more –Streaming upload of low-definition video (eg, video chat) requires.5 mbps or more –New services will require more bandwidth. Streaming allows you to start watching or listening much sooner than if you had to download a whole program but you have to stream it again next time you want to watch it!

Bandwidth The Bandwidth of your connection determines what content is usable –“Upstream” bandwidth determines how quickly you can send something for someone else to look at, read, watch, hear, or play –“Downstream” bandwidth determines how quickly your connection can receive something for you to look at, read, watch, hear, or play –Bandwidth = packet size (in bits) * packets per second DownloadDownloadStart video Speed Song Movie (Streaming) Upload Photo 1mbps36 seconds1.6 hours5 seconds24 seconds 10mbps3.6 seconds36 mins.5 seconds2.4 seconds 100mbps.3 seconds3.6 mins.05 seconds.2 seconds 1gbps*.03 seconds22 seconds.005 seconds.02 seconds * 1gbps = 1000mbps. Orange indicates “good enough”—faster than most people would notice.

The Big Picture Yahoo Google CNN Network Access Point Tier 1 Provider (eg AT&T) Tier 1 Provider (eg Sprint) Your ISP Local Website Your House

The Last Mile Your House Your ISP

Wireless Analogy Wireless communication is like talking in a room

Wireless Analogy Wireless communication is like talking in a room –You can talk fast or slow (fast = more BPS)

Wireless Analogy Wireless communication is like talking in a room –You can talk fast or slow (fast = more BPS) –Harder to hear if You’re farther away There are more people talking There’s more background noise You’re talking faster

Wireless Analogy Wireless communication is like talking in a room –More data per second = talking faster –Harder to hear if You’re farther away There are more people talking There’s more background noise You’re talking faster –You can break people up into groups They can talk quieter and faster to each other The groups’ leaders can talk to each other

Wireless Topology Options Determines who can talk directly to whom

Wireless Topology Options Determines who can talk directly to whom –Dependant on physical topology (distance, obstructions, etc)

Wireless Topology Options Determines who can talk directly to whom –Dependant on physical topology (distance, obstructions, etc) Compare Urbana (“Tree City USA”) to Manhattan (big buildings)

Wireless Topology Options Determines who can talk directly to whom –Dependant on physical topology (distance, obstructions, etc) –Dependant on radio characteristics (speed, power, congestion control)

Wireless Topology Options Determines who can talk directly to whom –Dependant on physical topology (distance, obstructions, etc) –Dependant on radio characteristics (speed, power, congestion control) Options: –Star (aka “hub and spoke”) –Mesh –Volo

Star topology CPE (Customer Premise equip.) RJ45 Ethernet Wall Jack Radio Tower Customer Site ~2-5 Mbps Ethernet Link 2.4 or 5.8ghz radio signal 2-30mbps Interne t

Star notes Cheap Simple BUT –Doesn’t scale well (>100 users)

Mesh topology CPE (Customer Premise equip.) RJ45 Ethernet Wall Jack Customer site Customer Site ~2-5 Mbps Ethernet Link Customers access ‘net through other customers Interne t

Mesh notes Organic Low overhead “Community” brownie points BUT –Very inefficient (slow) –Unpredictable (who is offline if a customer quits?) –Short range (no towers)

Volo topology Umbrellas of coverage

Volo notes Hierarchical cellular design Low overhead initially Wide coverage Unlimited scaling Predictable coverage BUT –More towers

Overview About me and Volo How Volo works –How the internet works – The big picture –Wireless last mile –Volo Topology The Federal Stimulus Package –The rural digital divide –Champaign County Backbone –Champaign County Volo Discussion

The Federal Stimulus Package $7.2 billion of Federal stimulus money is set aside for broadband Targeting unserved (no internet) and underserved (slow internet) areas Collaboration with and letters of support from Cities, townships, increases the likelihood of being funded Applications submitted in August, grants will be awarded in December

The Rural Digital Divide Infrastructure costs money Time costs money Rural areas have few people per unit area –Fewer people per infrastructure dollar –More wasted $ in support logistics –Service providers make up costs with high rates, up- front charges => Rural areas make less $$$, gets less infrastructure, and has high barrier to entry

Volo’s solution: CCBB Champaign County Broadband Backbone –Bring C-U backbone resources to towers in rural areas –Requires a fiber backbone and 17 towers around the county –Goal: encourage local providers to service rural areas, provide better connections to schools –Cost: $1.5M for all of Champaign County CCBB => Lower infrastructure costs => better ROI Local providers => lower support costs

Volo’s solution: CCV Champaign County Volo – A CCBB proof of concept –Deliver connections from the towers to households in rural areas –The speed of the service would be 5-25/mbps –Cost per household with stimulus: $45/month –Cost per household without stimulus $ Installation plus $45/month –Goal: Subsidize initial investment for 1200 subscribers, to allow future subscribers to have $0 up-front cost

Discussion